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Comments on my notes

(123 comments on 94 notes)

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Red
2016 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
1/10/2022 - Yack Man wrote:
92 points
Good wine but nothing like previous vintages (day 1), showing thin on the palate now. Let's see where this one goes. 91/92 Points. Day 2, still thin and tight, I would wait on this one but there is no guarantee where this wine will go unfortunately.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    7/30/22, 6:06 PM - I'm drinking this now and with a 2hr decant its drinking pretty nicely. Tannins are a little drying and dominant but super aromatic long lasting finish. Glad I have 3 more left, because today gave me hope for this wine

Red
2015 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve Oakville
6/2/2018 - csimm wrote:
94 points
Napa Cabernets + SQN + others (Home): A step up from the 2015 Bone Ash, but still leading its attack with a lot of fruit in the mouth all at once. A darker flavor profile than the Bone Ash, with sappy black raspberry, wild blackberry, black currant, dark mulch and wet cedar, and some scorched earth. Big and bold, with nice concentration and depth, but a little sluggish on the drive toward the back end. Slightly heavy at the moment, with the delivery skipping a few necessary beats to best finish out the back end. Hopefully time will help this. 92-94 points at the moment, with possible upside in another year or two, where it hopefully will develop more seamlessness.

Like the Bone Ash, the Family Reserve typified much of Venge’s fruit-forward style. The Bone Ash was especially “fruity” when served side-by-side with this Family Reserve. Nevertheless, both wines are good (the Family Reserve was very good). However, they finished toward the middle/middle-end of the pack of the 30-ish wines tasted. I did not find them to be as compelling as the Morlets, Tusk, MACDONALD, Rudd, Scarlett Reserve, etc. (stiff competition to be sure).
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/20/19, 3:12 PM - Like always love your comments, but the only wine in your list with a similar price point is Scarlett Reserve. I just had this wine today and it has fruit, acid and tannins to last another 20 years. This wine has crazy structure, question is can we be patient enough.

Red
2015 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Napa Valley
4/7/2019 - amauryc1 Likes this wine:
92 points
Decanted for 1hr and then poured back into bottle to take to a friend's house.

The wine is dark purple on the glass with full weight appearance. The nose is very fruit forward full of dark blue/black brambly fruit, toasted oak and hints of wet stones. The wine was very smooth on entry and like the nose, very fruit forward with nice mid palate but it wasn't as round as I'm used to from this wine. The tannins were very well integrated and the finish was good but again a little light.

I've seen Mike's single vineyards wines drink very well early and then decide to take a long nap. For some reason this is more prevalent, in my experience, with his single vineyard than with his NV's which seem to always be open for business.

Again, all the components are there but it just didn't come together for me. If I had to bet, this wine may be in a slumber dumb phase but has potential for another 2-3 points of upside.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/8/19, 11:07 AM - I think you are right. I've had a really hard time gauging when to drink Mike's single vineyards. Two years ago I opened a 2012 12c G3 and it didn't budge at all. Had the same bottle 3 week ago and it was delicious with a quick decant.

    I think the 15s will be sleeping for about a year. Its a little frustrating when you open a bottle and you know it should be better, but it's part of the fun. :)

Red
2011 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard Rutherford
1/21/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine:
95 points
This is a 2011? Decanted 90 min. Still young and has a way to go but two things jumped out. First, best 2011 we've had. 2nd, while young, it has potential for many many more points in the future. Oak and complimentary fine, but non drying, tannins were prominent but subdued as a layer over red berries, purple fruit, lavender and burnt earthy notes. This was "integrated young" as in everything was in balance even though it was all in the young early phase. Paired beautifully with grilled filet mignon. Very excited to see where this goes in 3+ years. Still can't believe this is an '11. 95 for now, but see 98+ with time.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/7/19, 5:05 PM - It's interesting because as bad as 2011 was in Napa it is equivalent to an average to good year in Bordeaux. I have found some great gems in 2011 for next to nothing and the common denominator is that wine makers with Bordeaux experience knew how to handle the conditions and those who didn't have it just fell on their faces.... Mountain fruit was a little more forgiving but the valley separated the men from the boys.

    Aaron's wine are some of my favorites in this vintage. If you like this look for Spottswoode, Dunn, Kapcsandy and Dalla Valle to name a few....great 2011 values

Red
2015 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Napa Valley
2/25/2018 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
94 points
The nose of white flowers, licorice, wet stone and blackberries is fairly muted at the moment. Gorgeous dark purple in the glass. On the pallet, this is showing quite a bit tighter than the first bottle I had, which was right after release. Even after about 5 hours of air, the tannins and acid are still making it more of a sharp and angular experience than I remember. The mid pallet is full, but a bit disjointed and my feeling is that perhaps this is starting to shut down. Manages to still show off a long finish, but with significantly more astringency than I would expect. The fruit is still so pure and wonderful that it's not a wasted experience, but I would wait a while before popping the cork. There are lots of layers here, and it feels like it will need to resolve and unfurl before showing its stuff again.

This is probably the least expensive LPV around at $125. I believe Mike Smith makes three of these - Carter La Verdad and Carter La Bam are the others. The Verdad is clearly head and shoulders above the other two IMO (2015 vintage), and I feel like the Quivet and La Bam are very similar in many respects. To me, going deep on the Quivet is a no brainer.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/6/19, 6:28 PM - Very good note Crystal2000. Good value for the vineyard even if a little too primary at the moment.

Red
2015 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Napa Valley
10/13/2018 - Badmonkey wrote:
98 points
Decided to revisit in light of the 88 rating from WS - curious if James Laube's review is as ridiculous as I remembered and it is. Once again, dark purple fruit - blueberry, blackberry, and dark currants. Really smooth coupled with nice depth/concentration and beautiful purity. Full/vibrant flavors of dark berries, some spice box/licorice, and a mineral/graphite component. Long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over a couple more. Improved with time but drinking quite well after the decant. Just for kicks decided to put it next to a bottle of the 2015 Louis Martini Alexander cab which WS rated 91. Although the Martini cab is solid for the price point in my opinion, the Quivet LPV was in another league - frankly I had a hard time drinking the Martini next to the Quivet. With Parker on somewhat of a hiatus, Jeb Dunnuck is the only professional reviewer that I believe is worth listening to right now.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/6/19, 6:24 PM - My palate lines up closer to the traditional Napa, more Red fruit, slightly racier acidity and I look for more nuance and evolution over time. I opened my first bottle of the Quivet Las Piedras and it felt a very primary and a little short, but it's definitely not an 88. The quality of the fruit is impecable, very good integration of tannins and good balance acidity. It got better and more interesting with air so I'm sure it will be better in a couple more years.

    No way this is an 88, even if your palate prefers a different style this is not a point lower than 92 with a 3 points of aging upside.

Red
2016 Quivet Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
12/15/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
94 points
The Quivet Napa Cab is running neck and neck with Scarlett as my favorite Mike Smith entry level Cabernet's and is a real value. Dark ripe berry fruit, dark currant, some coca essence along with good fruit extraction, especially considering the price point. The wine showed better after catching some air and should improve with a little bottle time but not by much as this wine is drinking really well right now with a decant. 93-94 Points .

As a side, the 2016 Scarlett definitely needs more bottle time to come around in my opinion. It seems to lack the intensity that showed early on when compared to the last few vintages.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    2/15/19, 6:59 PM - Agree 100%. Both Scarlett and Quivet have touches of red fruit and seem to have a more textured mouthfeel.

Red
2014 Wheeler Farms Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
8/20/2017 - #1Winelover Likes this wine:
94 points
A new find from The Araujo's. This was an interesting wine for sure; purple and red coloring, nice tannins, cherry and plum, vanilla. I tasted the distinctive taste from St. Helena in the background.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    2/7/19, 5:52 PM - Did you find the bottle outside or actually visit Wheeler Farms? I was wondering if you visited and tasted Accendo, the new Araujo project.

Red
2013 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon The Arsenal Greer Vineyard Rutherford
11/25/2018 - csimm wrote:
flawed
Another flawed bottle of the Arsenal. Wet newspaper and dog-left-out-in-the-rain mustiness. Fruit was blown and flat, with a bitter, astringent delivery overall.

I tell ya boys and girls, this provenance thing is a real deal. This was yet another bottle I gleefully swept up at a would-be reputable auction (K&L), only to end up with a $150 drain cleaner. Always a not-cool experience. I opened a second bottle (bought from the winery direct) and no issues at all.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    2/5/19, 3:43 PM - 1 1/2 Benjamins is a very painful flawed bottle. Ouch

Red
2013 O'Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
11/6/2017 - Yack Man wrote:
90 points
With 2013 being a killer vintage, the 2013 O'Shaughnessy has to be a winner, so I thought anyway. The 2008 O'Shaughnessy was outstanding, so I couldn't wait to try this 2013. The first bottle was clearly wasn't ready, so I let this wine lay on the rack for almost a year and to my surprise, it's still not ready. Great vibrant purple color, very inviting in appearance, but on the palate, the wine is still very coiled, tight, restricted, acidic, still not ready. This Howell Mountain vintage is showing like much like the Dunn Howell mountain cabs that I have tried, but they don't reveal much when they are young and may require several months or years before they come around. I will wait awhile before I open another.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    1/5/19, 7:04 PM - Im drinking my first bottle of O'SHAUGHNESSY, and it is the 2013. I let it slow ox for 3 hrs and decanted for 2 and it was open for business on the glass but a little closed on the palate. Now after 3 in the decanter its firing on all cylinders but the finish is a little too dominated by tannins.

    The fruit, acid, tannins mix on this wine is perfect for aging, but if you don't mind a mouth drying finish from tannins it's drinking pretty well now.

Red
2015 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard St. Helena
10/10/2018 - msuwine wrote:
96 points
This dark and layered Cabernet is drinking beautifully right now, as long as you give it a few hours of air. Cherry red in color and full in body, the wine has an inviting nose of boysenberry, espresso, and chalkboard, with a hint of baking spices and fresh toast. (Forgive the childhood memory, but it reminds me of coming out of the snow into a home with a wood burning stove - warm, cozy, and welcoming, all balanced by the recognition of something cold.) The tastes are raw, luscious, and not quite integrated - blackberry, dark chocolate, anise, and pine needles - with a finish that goes on and on, with fine-grained tannins. 15.1% alcohol.

Although I didn't taste this side-by-side with Myriad's other wines, this seems to present a more dark, rustic, and savory profile (probably because of the vineyard, though I confess to thinking descriptors of vineyard taste profiles can get kind of fuzzy - the definition of non-falsifiable statements). The intensity and ripeness are there, and that patented Mike Smith crazy-fruit-but-not-too-much-crazy-fruit thing is there, too, given the structure, acidity, and overall lift of the wine. I'm going to wait until 2019 or later to open my next bottle, since - once this wine integrates and sheds some of its sharp edges - watch out, since this could be even more stunning.

I wish every $125 Napa Cabernet was this good, but that is absolutely not the case (extra point for QPR). To get this much nuance, uniqueness, and power in a wine at this price, is to realize you've purchased well (the secret hope / bias of every CT reviewer, to be sure!). In this case, though, it's true: this is a fantastic wine, and - unlike the G3 or Three Twins - it's a wine that is clearly built to improve with age. I can't (but will try to) wait!
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/31/18, 6:13 PM - I just had a bottle for my New Year's Eve dinner and I agree with all your notes. Definitely more savory and not as fruit forward as the GIII or the NV nice spicry notes and finish but the tannins in my bottle were pretty dominating. I think this is a wine that will drink better on 2020-2021 than now.

Red
2015 TOR Proprietary Red Wine Oakville Red Bordeaux Blend
12/10/2018 - jaxpaj wrote:
DO NOT OPEN YET!!!! This is a tight monster. Wonderful nose but the firm tannins his the core of the wine. I would wait until '20 if not longer. No rating but think this will age well and potential of 95-97.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/31/18, 9:32 AM - Thanks for the note...was thinking of opening their BTK today...looks like I'll be holding this one back

Red
2012 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Her Majesty's Secret Service Stagecoach Vineyard Napa Valley
4/2/2018 - Cristal2000 wrote:
93 points
Blackberries, dried herbs, violets and some tobacco on the nose. Relatively high levels of acidity, red fruit, medium bodied and old world-ish. Relatively long finish that is a bit clipped by the acid bite. Definitely showing secondary and tertiary notes at this point. I didn't love it, but it's a nice wine, especially with food.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/13/18, 2:51 PM - Aaron is like the anti-matter of Napa winemakers. A lot of the '12 I've been drinking feel a little flabby but all Pott wines have a really solid backbone. I had this bottle last week and after a 6 hour decant it hit it's stride. Must be that Troplong Mondot in his background

Red
2011 Palazzo Right Bank Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
2/24/2018 - FlyPig Likes this wine:
94 points
Gorgeous wine, slow ox for 6 hours, drank over the next 5. The cab franc makes the blend work beautifully. Solid structure, built for a long life but drinking so well now. Bravo.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    9/30/18, 11:55 AM - Good to know...just got a nice web offer for 39.00.

Red
2015 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard Calistoga
8/26/2018 - amauryc1 Likes this wine:
95 points
I'm rating this wine on Day 2.

Opened and Slow O2 for 2 hours at 64 degrees. Day one the nose was deep, and intoxicating, but the pallate was a little disjointed. The palate was a mixture of dark red and black fruit followed with acid and then tannins with long finish but it just wasn't cohesive.

I saved 1/2 bottle for day two....and Man, what a difference. Deep and more complex nose of raspberries, plumbs and black currants combined with nutmeg, tobacco and hints of flowers. The mouth feel was unctuous, with deep black fruit, tobacco, and leather flavors on the mid palate and a mid lenght savory finish. IMHO, the ratio of fruit, acid and tannins tells me that this is a fairly ageable wine and it showed a remarkable improvement from day 1 to 2, so either decant for 3-4 hours or simply let it sleep for a couple more years and you will be rewarded.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    9/21/18, 11:31 PM - I always put the cork back in the bottle and the bottle back in the cellar overnight.

    Cheers

Red
2015 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard Calistoga
6/2/2018 - csimm wrote:
94 points
Napa Cabernets + SQN + others (Home): Definitely more fruit-driven than the Morlets and Rudd served alongside it, with seemingly less backbone and acidic grip. Ripe red and black core fruit, with lush, plush, rounded edges that would be just fine in a stand-alone situation, but when compared to the other wines next to it, seemed a little overly mushy at times. From the front end to the back, it is a “gushing with fruit” kind of wine. One comment made was that it seemed like it was trying too hard to be a top-shelf Cabernet. I still thought it was a good wine, but it did seem like it was graduating medical school with a D+… It’s still technically a doctor (which is noteworthy), but probably not one you’d want doing neurosurgery on your daughter. The 92-93 point MD is probably fine as a check-your-prostate kind of GP, but otherwise I’ll pay the extra tariff to seek out the summa cum laude from Stanford for my specialty needs.

The 2015 Bone Ash is a big wine, with still a lot to sort out. It just seems like a big “plop” of fruit flavor right now…good flavor, but alas, not as focused as I would prefer. The 2015 Venge Family Reserve was a bit more delineated and framed-out in its flavor profile when compared to this Bone Ash, but both Venges seemed less sophisticated when next to some of the other top performer Cabernets.

Previous notes from 12/31/2017 still apply otherwise. Hold until 2019/2020.

Day two update: Much better than day one. I bumped it up from 93 to 94 for the added depth and concentration.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/26/18, 6:16 PM - The acidit on this wine and fruit level tells me that it is a ver ageable wine. Like you I found this much balanced on day 2. I have three bottles left, so I'll either double decant for 3-4 hour or wait a couple years. One thing is certain; the improvement from day 1 to 2 tells me it has a lot of potential.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/28/18, 4:46 PM - I have to say that when I started drinking Venge, I did not think that they were lomg term ageable wines but I'm pleasantly surprised. I had a 2010 Bone Ash last week with a friend, and Man..was it good.

Red
2013 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bone Ash Vineyard Calistoga
10/24/2016 - amauryc1 Likes this wine:
92 points
Opened and let it slow Ox for 3hrs at 64degrees before pouring on the glass. This 2013 Bone Ash was dark purple almost black on the glass with a full body viscosity and dark purple/slightly crimson legs. The nose was like a punch of black berries, super ripe blueberry jam, and cassis. There were slight hints of licorice, and vanilla extract but these aromas were overwhelmed by the fruit. The pallate matched the nose with a heavy dose of black fruit, creme de cassis, some vanilla and licorice that added an interesting sweetness. The fruit and sweetness were lifted and balanced by surprisingly lively acidity, and velvety tannins that increased in strength over the next 3 hrs and led to a very long sweet bitter finish of cocoa.

In similar fashion to my notes on the Family Reserve, this is not my preferred wine profile but it is still very nicely made, with surprising balance and provides high quality in the $75-100 Napa Cab range. Initially I would say this wine is a drink now wine, but considering the increasing strength of the tannins and the bright acidity I feel/hope this wine may improve over the next 5-10 years. I would expect it to evolve by mellowing out the fruit and adding secondary characteristics of cloves, chocolate, increased presence of licorice and reduced sweetness. Or it could just go flabby :)...I'll take that chance and give it 5 years
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/26/18, 8:06 PM - Wine Grove, I have one left and holding out for at least another year. I just had the 15 and it was also very good a deal built for the long haul

Red
2015 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
7/13/2018 - sean7711 wrote:
88 points
Napa Cabs Blind Tasting: Napa (and other CA) cabs blind tasting
Wine served: 6th of 9
Group: 9 of 9
Me: 8 of 9

Not sure what went wrong here! This was my contribution to the blind tasting, even going a bit over on the price range. This consistently scored low among the group, including myself. Maybe an off bottle? I had opened about 2 hrs prior to tasting to help it get a bit more air than the other bottles but it just came off as disjointed, alcoholic. Maybe my palate was tired? Anyway, not entirely sad to give away my last remaining bottle as the prize. I will give Myriad another try given the reputation for 2016.

Edit: Primarily CS, with some Merlot and PV
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/17/18, 7:27 PM - Badmonkey, this wine is drinking great now but the fact about the Merlot component is an interesting tidbit. I was detecting a slightly higher red fruit and floral component than I'm used to with Myriad and that explains it.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/17/18, 9:27 PM - I agree, I've been drinking the bottle for about 2 hrs now and I'm getting a little bitter, slightly astringent tanic finish which I would guess comes from the Petite Verdot. Is still good but I was wondering what was different this year. Which I had one more bottle of this NV Myriad to compare with the '16

Red
2011 Arkenstone Cabernet Sauvignon NVD Napa Valley
6/23/2018 - csimm wrote:
91 points
Arkenstone: A 2011 that didn’t instantly catapult me into adversity and grumpiness, this Arkenstone NVD actually showed a decent flavor profile that wasn’t washed over with bell pepper and wood flavors. Rather, this has some pleasant black currant, crunchy wild blackberry, earth, white pepper, and subtle spice notes. No green nonsense going on here. Not a show-stopper by any means, but try to find me a 2011 Napa Cab that is?!

91-ish points. Drink now while the fruit lasts.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    7/21/18, 2:25 PM - I was out there Thursday...ended up buying a 3 pack

Red
2015 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
5/30/2018 - csimm wrote:
93 points
Previous notes apply. PnP was an initial punch of red and black cherry liqueur and vanilla extract. Decanted for an hour+, which GREATLY improved the overall delivery of flavor. Black cherry, red and black licorice, asphalt and incense (which were nice additions this time around), and some fresh vanilla bean.

A little darker and less tiered flavor build-up than the Becklyn NV or Scarlett. Similar to the Quivet NV, if maybe a bit more medium bodied (weight-wise on the mid). QPR is always most notable on these wines. Decanting worked well this time, but ideally I’ll still try to hold for another 4-6 months to allow the liqueur component to settle down. 92-93 points.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    6/9/18, 2:26 PM - Very good note. Had a similar experience last night. The one thing I'll add is that the real ABV must high, because after polishing a bottle last night I was feeling it this morning and that never happens. :)

Red
2013 Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon HL Napa Valley
10/13/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
93 points
Big nose displaying a lot of menthol, pencil shavings, wet stone, forest floor and a bit of blueberry. Very earthy. Broad shouldered and dense on the pallet with a lot of BDX character, with savory notes of herbs, tobacco and smoked meat. Fairly good concentration and decent length on the finish. Certainly made in a more old world style than most coming out of Napa. Can use at least a few more years to come together.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    5/26/18, 6:34 PM - Crystal, would you pay 100 bucks for this wine?

  • amauryc1 commented:

    5/29/18, 11:33 AM - Tks for the insight. Im a Bordeaux fan but most Napa BDX types tend to be heavy on the acid but there are a few that have mastered the balance between fruit, acid earthy/savory tones. Dennis Malbec was very good at this. If HL has a similar style to Blankiet, Dominus..then it may be worth it for me.

Red
2013 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
12/7/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
94 points
Decided to give this a shot in light of the great vintage and professional reviews - 95 to 97 from Parker and 98 from James Suckling. Dark red and black fruit - dark cherry, blackberry, and dark currants. Smooth mid-palate coupled with solid depth. Flavors of dark berries, some spice, and a little mineral component. Nice finish but not overly long nor deep - it needs some more time to open-up on the back-end in my opinion. Decanted for two hours and drank over another two. Improved with time and enjoyable after the decant, however, once again this vintage needs some more time for the fruit to soften and open-up which is no surprise in light of the vintage and producer. According to Suckling, drink in 2020 which I can't argue.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    5/26/18, 6:58 PM - Badmonkey,. Michael Dunn, Randy's son has started to take over the production so, like the 13 they will be more approachable early but will still be much better after bottle aging.

    I'm drinking 2005 Dunn now and it's awesome, but again it's totally different than any of Mike's wines. I would put Dunn in the same category maybe a half notch below Spottswoode. You can find older Dunn's in auction for decent prices if you want to give them a shot. 2003 (2hr decant),2005(2hr decant), 2007 (4hr decant), 2010 (4hr decant) and 2011 (slow ox and 1hr decant) are drinking great now.

Red
2014 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
3/30/2018 - csimm wrote:
92 points
PnP. Displaying some older world characteristics, with red currant, cedar, and dust. Some purple plum, brick, and dried cranberry also emerged. Medium-bodied with a decent mid-palate, but still a bit youthfully linear.

I continue to believe that even though this is an NV, it needs at least another year or two in bottle to reach its full potential. Not unlike Pott’s SVDs, this NV kicks out some grip/acid that is in much need of integration with the core flavors in order to show a more complete profile.

Hold until mid-2019/2020.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/18/18, 4:57 PM - I'm cruising in the Caribbean and opened my last bottle of 14 Pott NV. Let it slow Ox for 3 hours and then had the restaurant decant. After slow Ox it was a little barnyardie, but after 30 mins in the decanter it started to sing. Even now this wine needs a lot of air to open up nothing has changed just like my first bottle, but I can tell you that my last 2 glasses were as seamless as it gets.

Red
2014 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
3/3/2018 - Yack Man Likes this wine:
95 points
I have fallen in love with this vintage of Scarlett. This 2014 is a delightful
bottle of Napa Cabernet at an excellent price point. See previous notes.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/17/18, 6:55 PM - This is my favorite 2014 Mike Smith wine!

Red
2014 Outpost Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
1/13/2018 - Badmonkey wrote:
93 points
Get together with some friends. Drank the following: 2014 Outpost cab, 2014 Outpost immigrant True Vineyard, and 2014 Lewelling Wight.

Similar thoughts as a couple months ago - solid depth/concentration, nice flavors of dark blue/black fruit with a little red along and a nice mineral/graphite component, decent finish but not overly long nor deep - once again I believe it needs some more time for the fruit to open-up. Popped and poured but drank over around three hours. I thought it showed its best during the first half hour - more of a dark blue/black fruit profile with nice depth/concentration mid-palate. However, as the night progressed I thought it transitioned into a redder fruit profile and the finish became a little tart. Once again, I believe better days are ahead for this vintage. Like most of the 2014 Napa cabs that I've had over the past 6 months I believe this wine is in a transition phase and needs time to come around. Going to continue laying my other bottles down for at least another year or so hoping for Parker's 95 rating.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    1/14/18, 6:33 PM - Right on with the notes. I was shocked when I started tasting red fruit halfway through the bottle.

Red
2014 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Rutherford
11/21/2017 - csimm wrote:
95 points
All of my previous notes apply. This took about 2 hours of slow O2 with some swirling in the glass throughout consumption to really develop some beautifully deep and saturated flavors. Started out a little hot and unnerving, but then settled into a really nice glide. Big and lush without being overdone.

Good to drink now with some air, or hold another 6-12 months with confidence. My opinion is that this will hold up just fine for a while in bottle...for those worried about the GIII transforming too rapidly over a short period of time. You never know 100%, but this particular bottle seemed to indicate an ability for some short term aging potential.

This GIII crushed a '13 Pride Cabernet served alongside it.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/1/17, 5:05 PM - Alright... opening this tonight. By the way, Pride Cab is very basic and disappointing for.the price IMO. Their reserve is a whole different level and so very good.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/2/17, 8:03 AM - Hi csimm...ir wasn't bad but it must be going through a transitional phase. I expect tannins bfrom GIII, but more dusty and fine, the good thing for this wine is that there is still plenty of fruit up front to give me hope that it will balance out. Also, I flew on a red-eye yesterday so fell asleep while drinking the last glass and when I woke up 3 hours later and finished my glass it had smoothed out and gained some extra weight in the mid palate.

    Maybe it's the 14's because I had a similar experience with the 14 Venge Bone Ash, which is very uncharacteristic for that wine.

Red
2014 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Rutherford
11/11/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
93 points
Dark red and blue fruit - dark cherry, currants, and a little blueberry. Smooth mid-palate but the fruit came across quite a bit lighter than previous bottles. Fairly long finish but a little tannic/tart. Initially tried to pop and pour but I didn't think it showed that well so threw in a decanter for around two hours. Some improvement with time but still somewhat underwhelming. Drank next to a 2015 Quivet napa cab which a friend brought over and I thought the Quivet was quite a bit better. This vintage appears to be in a transition phase. Hopefully I'm wrong but this vintage drank quite a bit better earlier in the year and I personally don't see the structure for it to get back to that level. As I've stated before, I'm still of the belief that a lot of Mike's cabs drink better young because of the vibrant/full flavors that tend to wane with time. Hopefully this vintage proves me wrong. 92/93 at this stage.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    12/1/17, 8:25 PM - I think this wine is an exception to Mike's wines. The tannins are so strong that I think they need another year to 2 in order to settle and integrate. It started a little hot, but after some air, the alcohol died and the tannins took over.

    I have 1 bottle left, and hopefully I will wait 12-24 months before I drink it. I am so biased towards Quivet NV that its not even funny. next year I'm buying a case because at the price point, it is by far my favorite.

Red
2013 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve Napa Valley
11/13/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
92 points
Similar notes as a couple months ago, however, I thought the fruit came across a little lighter and flavors not as full with this bottle. Followed a 2014 Janzen Beckstoffer To-Kalon cab which was quite a bit better and more or less overwhelmed the Conn Valley. Decanted for one hour and drank over another two. Not much improvement with time but appears to be at a nice drinking point.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    11/19/17, 8:29 PM - Hey Badmonkey,
    I'm just finishing a bottle of this wine on day 3...and it is much better than day1. The fruit dies a little mid palate but other than that not much to complain.

Red
2013 Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley
8/4/2017 - csimm wrote:
89 points
Notes of plum and dark black cherry were the most prominent. Some dark-ish raspberry, chocolate, and hints of earth rounded out the flavor profile. Fairly cran-grapey and fruity, with not much frame to hold it all together; came off a little flabby and flat on the back end. Mid-palate lacked concentration, with a noticeably lighter finish. Unfortunately, pretty uninspiring overall.

87-89 points. Drink now and over the next few years. No way worth the price of admission as far as I'm concerned. Not a complete disaster, but certainly not a success. Held almost no interest for me personally. Others found it to be decent and fairly enjoyable.

A 2012 Cliff Lede Beautiful Generation stomped this wine when the two were served side-by-side.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    11/11/17, 8:35 AM - Hi Csimm..this vintage is a little sweeter than normal and it drinks flabby at first but give it air, 2-3 hour decant, and it is a big Merlot. Tons of tenic structure, and enough acid

    A little pricy,...but consistent

  • amauryc1 commented:

    11/11/17, 11:39 AM - I just got my '15 Myriad and Quivet. Good to know about the Dr Crane. Pahlmeyer are just ver consistent, but they are getting a little too pricey. Their Proprietary Red is always really good but based on our conversation in Napa it would be like Mike's 12C, a little more red fruit driven and a little more nuance. I had a 1995 Pahlmeyer a few weeks ago and it was awesome.. unfortunately it's hard to impossible for me to hold them that long.

    Starting to plan my next trip to Napa, will let you know to see if we can match schedules to taste.

Red
2015 Bevan Cellars Ontogeny Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
8/28/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
93 points
Coming off a wonderful bottle of the 2013 Ontogeny, I couldn't help but Coravin a 2015 to see what's doing with the new vintage (which I have found to be great to date). This is very dark in the glass, no doubt a product of the petit verdot, which is also dominating the aroma out of the gate, with strong notes of pencil shavings, violets, sage and wood chips. After swirling in the glass for a while, some of the dark cherry and cassis notes emerge. Lots of floral as well as the wine goes round and round in the glass. Certainly complex.

First sip is a bit underwhelming, especially relative to my recent bottle of 2013 (which is the best vintage of the wine I've had). The parts just don't seem to have integrated and the petit verdot seems to be making it stout, with more mineral and herbal notes than fruit. It needs to round out some in the mid pallet as well. As per usual, it's more firm than most of Bevan's offerings (which I like a lot) due to the blend, but it seems like it will need some time to come around...at least not PnP.

The texture is excellent as usual, and I am finding as I drink, the richness is emerging and the length is quite impressive. All that said, for me this doesn't appear to be on the level of the 2013 or 2012. It could just be that it is young...I'll be crossing my fingers since I have 6 more.
Giving it the benefit of the doubt at 93. Feeling like it's a 92-94 type wine.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    9/19/17, 4:14 PM - Crystal/csimm: Based on these reviews, I would think you recommend buying at least a 3 pack?

  • amauryc1 commented:

    9/20/17, 3:57 PM - Thanks for the feedback Cristal2000 and CSimm.

    Trick question for both of you since you have reviewed both of these wines. :) If you had limited wine storage as I do and had to pick between a 3 pack of 15' Ontogeny or pack 14 Outpost Estate Cab, what would you do?

    Every year I'll buy something new that I have not had and have narrowed down to these two.

Red
2013 Juslyn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Spring Mountain District
5/31/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
93 points
Purple fruit - blueberry, currants, and dark raspberry. Smooth mid-palate with decent depth (medium body). Nice purity and vibrant flavors of wild berries. Fairly long finish. Decanted for one hour and drank over another three. Improved a little with time but at a nice drinking point after the decant. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/19/17, 6:07 PM - I'm having the '11 tonight. After 2 hrs slow Oxit tasted like a red Burgandy, but one more hour of slow Ox and pouring through a Venturi made this wine pop. Unfortunately for Perry this wines can be found at really good prices in the secondary market and auctions. I've had every vintage of this wine since 2010 and it's always very good and elegant.

    Maybe I'll pop the '13 soon.

Red
2014 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
5/13/2017 - amauryc1 Likes this wine:
92 points
Other than Blackbird, this is my first Pott wine.

Do not make the same mistake I made and put this wine straight into a Decanter for at least 2 hrs. Do not venturi, pnp, slow Ox or Coravin ... straight to a decanter.

I did not decant at first and simply slowed ox for 2 hrs and poured through a venturi. The wine had a dark ruby core with a violet rim. The nose was muted only expressing iron aromas with hints of plum, cassis and alcohol. The palate had some plums, and licorice but even this was overwhelmed by the alcohol. It reads 14.7abv but it was drinking like a 17+ wine.

I decided to decant and let sit for 1 hr. This helped and made the wine drinkable but after another 90 minutes ntje wine started to come into its own into a very structured, layered and interesting wine. The nose became expressive with licorice, plums, flowery notes, cassis, blue berry pie and black cherry. The palate smoothed out nicely with really nice layered flavors of plums, licorice, cassis, iron, and oak. This wine has a really nice and bright acidity, grainy but we'll integrated tannins, round mid palate that leads to a nice mid/long finish.

This feels like a wine that will benefit with some bottle time, but very good none the less..... remember that here air is your friend.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/16/17, 7:59 PM - I've been looking for Pott's SVD's and can't find them anywhere. It's my first time buying Potts wines so by the time I got my allocation the SVDs we're all gone. Hopefully I'll get some of the '15s

Red
2012 Seavey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Caravina Napa Valley
1/31/2017 - RMacFMayer wrote:
Seavey' are pretty much powerful love me or not wines that need aging- Could not wait - lots there but not too appealing right now - and I knew better - will wait a few years for the rest. Should be another great one
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/16/17, 7:01 PM - The '12 is finally open for business!

Red
2013 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate St. Helena
3/18/2017 - csimm wrote:
90 points
Muted, dry, and a little thin mid-palate, this Spottswoode is in need of some serious bottle time before it MIGHT show a more improved hand. 2020 is probably about right, but I'm honestly not expecting the fruit to offer any concentration worth talking about even then. Time will tell I guess.

A more classically styled Cabernet. Red current, cedar, and some spice. There is some purple fruit peeking out ever so slightly, but not enough to really add too much interest at this point. This was barely 90 points for me during this tasting. Hopefully 3-5 years in bottle will help broaden its scope a little bit more. It will never be an epic Cabernet in my opinion. But for those who like a more restrained style, this will likely provide pleasure in the coming years. 90+ points, with another point or two after 2020+.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/1/17, 8:26 PM - Yackman and csimm; Have any of you guys had Dominus? How would you compare Spottswoode's style to Dominus. I came across a pretty good deal on '13 Spottswoode, but not sure if I should pull the he trigger since I've never had it. I like contemporary Napa but I really appreciate the old Napa and Bordeaux styles like Dominus and even Dunn.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/1/17, 10:20 PM - Thanks csimm! That is helpful, because even in a good deal spending over $140/bottle is no joke so I would expect a level of complexity and expression that doesn't appear to be a part of this bottling of Spottswoode. It would be great if I could get a free taste before buying this, but getting feedback regarding bottles with which you have little/no experience will a what make CT great! :)

  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/15/17, 4:38 PM - For whatever is worth, I had the '11 a month ago and I found it to be one of the prettiest, most elegant Napa wines I've had. Now I'm scooping up every bottle I can find. I've paid between $70 and $110....IMHO it's a deal!

    Similar to Dunn, I had the 2001 last week and it was delicious. The 11 is an exception, due to the vintage bit I would think a 13 Spottswoode would need 10 yrs to peak and and most of my CAT friends don't have neither the patience or space to lay a bottle down before tasting it

Red
2012 Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva Puente Alto Red Bordeaux Blend
8/11/2016 - ageverett Likes this wine:
92 points
Prototypical Chilean for me. Get a lot of spice on the nose. This is a big wine; pretty big on the palate, and a big finish. Lots of firm tannin. Nicely made, and will age well no doubt. But I preferred the 2013. I understand this had less cab (around 67%) while the 2013 had more like 71%. And this was a warmer vintage, although they did get a nice cool period right before harvest.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/14/17, 3:53 PM - I was in Chile last year and passed a the chance to visit Almaviva purely because of price. They wanted $130 per bottle and $75 to taste. In your opinion, is this wine worth trying for $90 per bottle?

  • amauryc1 commented:

    8/15/17, 8:15 AM - Thanks for the feedback, I'll buy a bottle and try it. I am a fan of several Chilean wines, but personally was not a big fan of the Chilean wine experience. Felt very Disney World and expensive compared to even Napa, Mendoza, or France.

    Surprisingly, South American wines are cheaper in the US than in country. I like Don Melchor, which I can get at Costco for $75 while they want about $115 in Chile. Pretty crazy...the same goes for Achaval Ferrer, Catena Zapata and others. wine-searcher.com is my friend.

Red
2014 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
6/12/2017 - csimm wrote:
94 points
Similar to my notes 6 months ago. This continued to improve over the course of three hours in the decanter. I'm surprised we were able to stretch this wine out for that long, as it was one of the most gulp-able wines I've had in a while. This first half was gone in less than twenty minutes. Extremely accessible and giving, and especially noteworthy in terms of smoothness. After some air, the texture of this wine was surprisingly silky (which is something I don't always associate with this wine - powerful and concentrated are usually the descriptors that immediately illustrate the Scarlett - of which this certainly was). But there was an added finesse and "expensiveness" to this especially on the final sips.

This and the Myriad NV are my two favorite wines from Mike Smith at that sub-$100 range. In fact, at $60 or so bucks, this wine is a no-brianer. QPR is stupid good. It's unreal by Napa standards how this single vineyard wine is available to the masses at such a low cost. Thanks to Mike Smith and the McGah folks for this. It truly is a rarity nowadays. This is an "all day long" kind of wine. The 2014 vintage of the Scarlett has a beautiful elegance and poise about it, while still maintaining a solid core of concentrated and forward fruit. The finish is round and inviting; you want to take another sip as soon as you finish the previous one. Addicting. Modern without being overdone. 94+ easy points in my opinion.

While the 2013 still needs some time to sort itself out, the 2014 is a pleasure to drink now with some air (PnP was just a hair sweet and liqueur-like, but that dissipated after about 30 minutes in the decanter). Drink now with a short decant, or hold for another 6+ months. A fun ride of a wine.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    6/30/17, 6:52 PM - This is hands down the best QPR of MS's wines. Unlike Myriad or even Quivet this wine has really good aging potential.

    In this price range, I just cannot say enough good things about this wine.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    6/30/17, 11:53 PM - Cristal2000, I did forget about Ontogeny which is not hard to do since all of Bevan wines are $195 and up, :) but it is really good. I've never had Outpost, but it is on my list of wines to try this year. I started buying Mike's wines in 2014 and when I had the Myriad GIII it was totally closed down, but I'm hoping it will be as good as advertised when I open my next bottle.

    Cristal & Csimm,. Have you guys had the Scarlett Reserve? What has been you experience and is it worth twice the price?

  • amauryc1 commented:

    6/30/17, 11:57 PM - csimm, I came late to the Realm party and you are right with the Bard. Unfortunately the prices have been going up pretty dramatically. 2015 yields were pretty low so I wonder how much their prices will increase this year.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    7/1/17, 9:13 AM - Thanks csimm, I'll pick up a couple bottles of the 15 when it comes out. This sounds like a similar story to Becklyn's Moulds Reserve. While the regular Becklyn drinks great early the Reserve needs to be laid down.

Red
2014 Scarlett Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford
6/30/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
94 points
Get together with some friends: 2014 Rivers Marie Lore cab, 2013 Envy Reserve cab, 2007 Taplin Cellars cab, 2013 Raymond Generations cab, 2014 Scarlett cab, 2013 Myriad Dr Crane cab, 2014 Janzen Cloudy's cab, and 2014 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges cab.

Dark red fruit with a touch of black - dark cherry, currants, and a little blackberry. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth especially for the price point and nice flavors of dark red berries. Fairly long finish. Drinking really well now despite its youth. In my opinion, just a notch below the 2014 Rivers Marie Lore, 2014 Myriad Dr Crane, 2014 Janzen Cloudy's, and 2014 Myriad Beckstoffer Georges. However, in light of the price differential probably the best bottle for the money.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    6/30/17, 6:39 PM - I just had my 2nd bottle of Scarlett and this is by far the best QPR of any Mike Smith or Napa Valley wine. Love the deep fruity and licorice nose, with a velvety smooth front palate, round and deep mid palate, with nice and juicy but balanced acidity and a those Rutherford dust tannins that lead to a long deep finish.
    If I had to get picky I would say the tannins get a little grainy and grippy, but when you factor the price and the fact that this wine is a baby I have not found a better wine for the price. Should have bought more

Red
2014 Pott Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
4/29/2017 - ageverett Likes this wine:
93 points
Fresh off the truck. Slox ox for 6 hours. Drank over 2 hours. Also had a 2014 Quivet NV to compare.

Tasted a sip on opening. My wife said "this tastes young." I can't disagree - it was pretty tight. The Quivet was easily better at this stage.

Oxygen did wonders. This really fanned out and strutted 6 hours later. We both actually flipped and preferred to drink the Pott first, Quivet later.

This was slightly leaner in color, and certainly leaner on the palate vs. the Quivet. The mineral tones were really present in the Pott, and went great with the lean purple fruit. Medium finish.

Fun stuff. Love it for the price point. The Quivet had more body and is a more "typical" Napa profile, but we enjoyed the Pott wine greatly.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    5/13/17, 8:20 PM - Ageverette, I agree with you that this wine does grow on you over time. It is tempting to compare this wine to Quivet NV but they are so different. I'm new to Pott's wine but I believe this wine has much less new Oak than Quivet or Myriad and the grapes spend less time in maceration.

    Pott feels like he has a more traditional Bordeaux style with Napa fruit while Mike has a more new Napa style. I enjoy both styles but they Re just different. Anyhow, this turned out to be a really nice and interesting wine even if a little alcoholic. I will do my best to leave my other bottles corked for at least 6 more months.

    Csimm... no worry, the wine is very good even if I don't think it may be you "go to" style.

Red
2013 Rudius Cabernet Sauvignon Kaley Elizabeth Oakville
3/31/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
94 points
My first time with this wine -- wow, what a powerhouse. Almost black in the glass, this is a heavy looking wine with a nose of blueberries, mineral and earth. This was a coravin pour, so initially not much air and the wine comes across and incredibly dense with chalky tannins. The more air it gets the more it opens up, and it just keeps getting better. Super concentrated on the palate. Great layers and structure, this wine is quite a find. Not sure about the relative value vs an equally impressive 2013 Rudius Panek, but my guess is this will last longer and possibly age better. Rudius really knocked it out of the park in 2013. Surprised they don't sell out.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    5/13/17, 8:36 AM - csimm & cristal200

    Wineacces.com is selling this wine for $115 and shipping included with no minimum. I may pick up at least 2

Red
2014 Becklyn Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Moulds Vineyard Oak Knoll District
2/11/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
93 points
This is the third time I've had this wine. I stand by my previous note, but I will say I enjoyed it the most this time around; probably because I didn't drink it next to a superior Oakville cab. There is a lot more minerality associated with this wine vs other Mike Smith labels, and I attribute that to the Mould's fruit. I believe it will likely age quite well as it has good backbone and structure. For me, it just lacks the depth, concentration and layering of my favorite Napa cabs.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/25/17, 11:14 AM - Most wines of Mike's wines that I've tasted come from vineyards north of Oakville where is warmer and the fruit gets more ripe. Moulds I believe is in Oaknoll where together with Yauntville wines seem to be a little higher in acid more red/ black, boysenberry fruit and mineral and tipically require more cellar time. I think the difference is the origin of the fruit more than wine making.

    When I had this with the texture, structure and balance are there but the fruit is hiding. Hopefully in 1 more year this should be ready to enter the drinking window. IMO, I would put this in the same cellaring category as Blankiet or Kapcsandy...all use southern Napa fruit and are not at their best early

Red
2014 Realm Cellars Farella Vineyard Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon
4/8/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
96 points
No formal notes, all from memory. Had this next to a 2013 Tusk and 2014 Carter OG. While this couldn't match the Tusk, it was at least equal to the Carter and just exceptional in most every way. Decanted for three hours prior to drinking. Already singing, this wine stands out for its luxurious texture, exceptional depth and nice backbone. There is structure and tannins to last, but the wine is still eminently approachable. It's about as good a wine as I can ever remember from the Southern end of Napa, and will not disappoint. Ideally could use another year or two.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/17/17, 10:45 PM - Cristal2000- When I tasted with Juan a few months ago, the Farella showed the best. The texture and depth of favor were almost perfect, on that day it showed much better than the Moonracer.

Red
2013 Mark Herold Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label Coombsville
4/13/2017 - csimm wrote:
flawed
No pop sound or apparent release of pressure on PnP. Crystallized cork bottom. Some sediment. Immediate funk smell. Taste was overly Port-like and reduced. Stewed prune and fertilizer.

Opened a second bottle; this bottle was pressurized but had a similar aroma. Taste seemed much better, but by then my palate was all screwy. I went with "Flawed" on the first bottle and called it a day. I corked the second bottle and put it in the cellar (54 degrees) for two days.

Luckily, this second bottle showed quite a bit of promise. It was rich and still came off a bit extracted, but not stewed at all the way the first bottle was. Much more identifiable flavors (as in previous notes I have on this wine).

I'm going to hold on opening remaining bottles until 2019/2020 if I can help it.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/15/17, 6:11 PM - Hey csimm, is this wine made by the old Merus wine maker?

  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/17/17, 5:46 PM - Thanks for the info. I knew the name sounded familiar. I used to like Merus when he was the winemaker but after they were acquired the Merus winemaker is the same as Kuleto which is good but just not as good as it used to be.

    I did look at the Herold wine website and you are right about the white label; $200 a bottle is in a very exclusive bracket; not buying with out tasting it first. Maybe I'll try to visit them on my next trip.

Red
2013 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon Jayson Napa Valley
4/10/2017 - StainedGlass wrote:
90 points
Medium dark sweet cherry and vanilla; not too jammy. Smooth tannins, easy drinking and lower alcohol on palate than 15.2% would indicate. I think this is drinking well now and don't see it improving much with age
  • amauryc1 commented:

    4/16/17, 7:02 PM - Did you notice this wine to be a little on the sweet side and low on acid? Ive had the 11 & 12 since they made the switch to the 100% Cab for Jayson and it has felt a little flabby compared to the Pahlmeyer. Hopefully they fixed this on the 13's

Red
2014 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
3/30/2017 - amauryc1 wrote:
92 points
The sweetness I detected on the first two bottles is mostly gone and replaced by a more structured wine that has a longer life than I previously thought. Lots of black fruit, licorice, coffee, dark chocolate and hints of sweet oak. The onlynthing that takes this bottle down a point is that the alcohol was very prevalent on the nose and on the backend, but otherwise a really nice wine.

If a 6-8 months of downtime tame the alcohol we have a complete winner.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/30/17, 7:43 PM - Thanks csimm, this has been an interesting wine to follow. It drinks so easy and it's so good that it's not hard to blow through a six pack. I have one left and will do my best to wait a little longer. :)

Red
2010 Concha y Toro Cabernet Sauvignon Don Melchor Puente Alto
3/19/2017 - wineotim Likes this wine:
95 points
Checking in on this for the first time in 2017. Really intense black cherry fruit, lots of acid, the focus of this wine is on the fruit and not oak. The black cherry fruit is intense, energetic, pure, and deep, good balance between elegance and power. This wine is gaining complexity, especially on the second day it had that addictive creme de cassis, mushroom, and earth aromas. The future looks great for this wine.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/30/17, 7:28 PM - On a side note; even though the wine is pretty good when I visited the winery outside if Santiago Chile, it was probably the worst winery experience I've ever had and I've visited many. I used to love Don Melchor but that visit turned me away.

Red
2014 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
2/4/2017 - Badmonkey wrote:
93 points
Get together with some friends - 2013 Arkenstone cab, 2014 Quivet Kenefick cab, 2014 Scarlett cab, 2014 Myriad napa cab, and 2007 Taplin Cellars Terra 9.

Dark red and black fruit - blackberry, currants, and dark cherry. Smooth mid-palate with nice depth especially for the price point. Nice flavors of wild berries and a little spice. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. 95% cab, 3% merlot, and 2% petit verdot.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/30/17, 7:24 PM - I thought this Myriad NV was 100% Cab. Interesting.

Red
2013 Pahlmeyer Merlot Napa Valley
3/12/2017 - Keeping It Real Likes this wine:
94 points
What a wine. Best Merlot I tasted so far. 95% Merlot 4% Cab Sauv and 1% Pertit Verdot.

The nose just screams at you with espresso, perfumes, chocolate, and sexy blackberry and cassis. On the palate, this is smooth and highly delicious. Every sip is an endorphin rush. What a great wine. Very delicious. At this point this was 96pts easy.

EDIT: After about 3+ hrs in the decanter this got a bit salty, too sweet, and vanilla-y. Probably 90pt at best. Wasn't nearly as good compared to Pnp and up to 1hr decant. Maybe that explains the very low reviews here. I'd like to give it the benefit of the doubt though... but shouldn't this be a factor in rating wines? Their ability to remain tasty throughout? I mean, it only makes sense considering the rating is for the consumer's drinking experience.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/15/17, 5:15 PM - Interesting note on the Merlot. I haven't had the 13 yet, but normally I slow Ox this wine. The cabs I decant for about 1 hr and drink it.

    Big fan of Pahlmeyer Merlot, their 11 was one of the best wines of the vintage IMO.

Red
2014 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard St. Helena
7/25/2016 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine:
94 points
Incredibly primary at this stage. Seems like it is going to need quite a while to come together. All the traditional trademarks of Dr. Crane are present, with eye popping purple color in the glass, dark fruit, scorched earth and minerality on the nose and very impressive structure. Overall, doesn't appear to be in the same league as 2013 or 2015 (barrel sample), but that is asking a lot. Not quite fair to judge at this point, but will anyway. 94-96.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    2/22/17, 11:09 AM - Damn.... Reading this thread makes me feel inferior. I brought 6 bottles last week at Realm and feel like I spent a crap load. I think I need to hit Pittsburgh and help #1winelover thin the cellar. :)

    2 '14 Farella (my favorite)
    2 '14 Bard
    2 '08 Tempest (drinking amazingly)

  • amauryc1 commented:

    2/23/17, 8:18 AM - #1Winelover-

    In all seriousness, lets try to meet up this year after harvest, once the tourist clear out. We can exchange contact info later and start planning.

  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/15/17, 3:37 PM - Whats going on in April? LOL

    I agree with csimm, but if you can't wait then let it sit in the cellar for 4 weeks to stabilize the wine from the trip and start with The Bard (if you have any) after you give it some air. Farella was also drinking really well, but I wouldn't touch Moonracer or any of the other wines. Too expensive to not let them reach full potential.

White
2014 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay Napa Valley
3/11/2017 - csimm wrote:
92 points
Always a bit of a popcorn butter bomb, but the wood Lewis uses seems to be of decent quality and doesn't overly distract from the beautifully pure core fruit, which seems to be able to stand up to the cooperage. The vanilla and toast elements add to the unctuous mouthfeel of the wine, with a really nice viscosity that is always signature Lewis. Lemon curd, citrus oil, vanilla bean, and toasty oak all come cascading from the glass. A true palate-enveloping experience.

So why isn't it a 100 point Chardonnay? It lacks minerality or potential grass notes. I don't get any pear or apple; mainly lemon citrus oil, but almost thicker, like olive oil. It feels fat and viscous (which can be fine), but the frame at times seemed faltered. It is a BIG California Chardonnay. But anyone who knows anything about Lewis realizes this going into it. They are always unabashedly bold. It also comes off a bit heavy, especially when attempting to pair with food.

Ideally, this is a stand-alone sipper when you're out on the deck kicking back under the Spring sunshine. It would pummel fresh seafood and play Mike Tyson with vegetable or light chicken dishes. Instead, maybe try a white sauce three cheese pizza (use big stinky cheeses!) or gnaw on some fat a** French fries with it...or maybe a slab of deep fried baby alpaca...??

92-ish points.
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/14/17, 7:11 PM - Lewis is made in a similar style as the Pahlmeyer Napa Chardonnay. Big in your face with viscous heavy mouth feel...They both try to imitate a Montrachet, but whether it's the fruit, wine making skill or terroir they can never get enough minerality and acidity to balance the heavy oak treatment.

    Like you said, IMO, these are sipping wines that don't pair well with food.

Red
2012 Araujo Estate Altagracia Napa Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
3/11/2017 - csimm wrote:
87 points
The wood and cedar sawdust elements of this wine far over-shadowed the red and black currant fruit flavors struggling to pop out. Reminded me of having to clean my hamster cage when I was a little boy.

It wasn't undrinkable or horrible necessarily, and it wasn't corked, but the wood was just too much for me. Mid-palate was thin, and the finish...well, the finish never started.

Ultimately, it was surely an inferior representation of the varietal, especially when sporting the Araujo name (even as a second label). Maybe worth it as a $20 house bottle of Cab at the local Cheesecake Factory. But at $125-$150 a pop?!... Well, that's just crazy talk.

Pretty weak and disappointing in my opinion. I'm not sure where others are getting the bold, thick, and rich display of fruit, as I experienced this as a simple, classically crafted domestic Cabernet. And even in that regard, it was instantly forgettable. Pass for me.

86-87 points?
  • amauryc1 commented:

    3/14/17, 7:04 PM - LOL...Love the hamster cage reference.

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